The present invention relates to an iron-type golf club head having a lightweight hosel and a high, toe-ward located center of gravity. The golf club head preferably includes a hollow body with a hosel and an interior mold line that extends into the hosel and is separated from a shaft bore by a solid barrier that does not include any through-holes. An upper portion of the body may include a pocket to hold a high-density weight, and the hosel wall may include multiple through-bores to further lighten the hosel. The golf club head may also include one or more internal ribs extending from the hollow interior of the body into the interior of the hosel.
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1. An iron-type golf club head comprising:
a head body comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, a face portion, and a rear portion;
a hosel comprising:
a tube body comprising a tube wall;
a bore;
a barrier,
a flange section located below the tube body at an interface between the head body and the hosel;
a cutout portion extending from an upper edge of the tube wall along an entire longitudinal length of the hosel through the flange section to the heel portion of the head body, and
a hosel cover sized to close the cutout portion,
wherein the cutout portion is disposed in a front-most side of the iron-type golf club head,
wherein the top portion, bottom portion, heel portion, toe portion, and rear portion define a hollow interior having an interior mold line,
wherein the bore has a length of at least one inch and is disposed entirely within the tube body,
wherein the interior mold line extends into the tube body above the flange section,
wherein the hosel is integrally formed with the head body,
wherein the head body and the hosel are composed of a first material having a first density,
wherein the hosel cover is composed of a second material having a second density that is lower than the first density,
wherein the barrier is disposed between and separates the bore and the interior mold line, and
wherein the barrier does not comprise any through-holes.
2. The iron-type golf club head of
3. The iron-type golf club head of
4. The iron-type golf club head of
5. The iron-type golf club head of
6. The iron-type golf club head of
7. The iron-type golf club head of
8. The iron-type golf club head of
9. The iron-type golf club head of
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The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/192,574, filed on Jun. 24, 2016, and also is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/858,891, filed on Sep. 18, 2015, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/072,055, filed on Nov. 5, 2013, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/104,675, filed on May 10, 2011, now abandoned, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/333,992, filed on May 12, 2010.
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to a golf club head with a lightweight hosel and a center of gravity located above its geometric face center and close to its toe.
The USGA Rules of Golf limit set forth certain structural limits for conforming golf clubs. For example, Appendix II, Rule 2(c) states that, for non-putter clubs, a “shaft must be attached to the clubhead at the heel either directly or through a single plain neck and/or socket. The length from the top of the neck and/or socket to the sole of the club must not exceed 5 inches (127 mm), measured along the axis of, and following any bend in, the neck and/or socket.”
In view of these requirements, the hosel centers great deal of mass in the heel of the golf club head, particularly in iron-type golf club heads, which typically have smaller volumes than wood-type heads and require greater structural support at the hosel. There is a need to reduce the mass in the hosel region of iron-type golf club heads to increase the amount of discretionary mass available to a golf club manufacturer, move the center of gravity of the golf club head away from the heel, and thereby make such iron-type golf club heads more forgiving to golfers.
Furthermore, golf club hosels typically are cylindrical in cross section and are consistent in width, which provides support for the shaft but resists bending and concentrates mass on the heel side of the club head. Adjustable hosels currently are very popular among golfers, so there is a need to provide golf club hosels that can be adjusted or bent to change the angle of the shaft with respect to the golf club head without sacrificing structural integrity.
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a lightweight hosel, and particularly an iron-type golf club head with a center of gravity located on a toe side of the geometric center of the face along a horizontal Y axis and an interior mold line that extends into the hosel and is separated from a shaft bore by a barrier.
One aspect of the present invention is an iron-type golf club head comprising a body comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a rear portion, a hosel comprising, a tube body comprising a tube wall, a bore, a barrier, and a flange section located below the tube body at an interface between the body and the hosel, wherein the top portion, bottom portion, heel portion, toe portion, and rear portion define a hollow interior having an interior mold line, wherein the bore has a length of at least one inch and is disposed entirely within the tube body, wherein the interior mold line extends into the tube body above the flange section, wherein the barrier is disposed between and separates the bore and the interior mold line, and wherein the barrier does not comprise any through-holes. In some embodiments, a wire mesh filler may be disposed within the hollow interior proximate the hosel. In other embodiments, the golf club head may comprise at least one rib, which may be disposed within the hollow interior and extend into the tube body above the flange section. In a further embodiment, the at least one rib may comprise first and second, intersecting, ribs, one of which may be disposed at or above the flange section.
In some embodiments, the golf club head may comprise a face component, the body may comprise a front opening and a heel edge, which may be disposed at the flange section, and the face component may close the front opening. In other embodiments, the golf club head may further comprise a high density insert, and the body may comprise a pocket sized to receive the high density insert. In further embodiments, the pocket may be disposed in the rear portion of the body, and the golf club head may be a wedge-type golf club head. In other embodiments, the pocket may be disposed in the toe portion of the body. In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the tube body may comprise a first width proximate an upper edge of the tube body and a second width proximate the barrier, and the tube body width may taper gradually from the first width to the second width. In a further embodiment, the first width may be approximately 0.50 inch and the second width may be approximately 0.47 inch.
In some embodiments, the barrier may have a thickness of approximately 0.040 inch, the flange section may have a thickness of 0.020 to 0.050 inch, and the hosel may be integrally formed with the head body. In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a hosel cover sized to close an opening in the tube wall of the hosel, the body and the hosel may be composed of a first material having a first density, the hosel cover may be composed of a second material having a second density, and wherein second density may be lower than the first density. In a further embodiment, each of the first and second materials may be a metal alloy. In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the tube wall may comprise a plurality of through-bores.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a lightweight hosel with a variable cross-sectional diameter that is thick enough to withstand golf club swing and impact loads, and thin enough to bend without distorting other structural features of the golf club. In particular, the present invention relates to iron-type golf club heads, which traditionally have more mass located in their heel sides due to the dimensions of the head and the manufacturing limitations associated with creating those dimensions.
In the preferred embodiment, shown in
The hosel 30 extends from the flange section 40 at the heel side 23 of the body 20, and includes a tube body 32 having a wall 34, a bore 36 into which a shaft (not shown) can be inserted and fixed, and a solid barrier 38 against which the bottom of the shaft rests when engaged with the bore 36. The barrier 38, which preferably has a thickness ranging from 0.020 to 0.040 inch, does not include any through holes, and separates the shaft from the hollow interior 28 of the body 20. In addition to providing the hosel 30 with additional rigidity, the barrier 38 prevents debris and glue from entering the heel portion 29 of the hollow interior 28 via the bore 36. The bore 36 preferably has a depth of at least one inch and is designed so that the hosel 30 includes the least amount of material as possible, which decreases the overall weight of the club head. In other words, it is beneficial to have a hosel 30 with a large bore 36 IML. As shown in
As shown in
The preferred embodiment preferably has a mass of 220-320 grams, a center of gravity depth along an X axis of 0.010 to 0.350 inch, and a loft angle, defined as the angle at which the striking surface 52 lies relative to the shaft, of at least 16 degrees. The bottom portion 22 of the golf club head 10 preferably has a front-to-back length along the X axis of less than 1.5 inches, and the body 20 and hosel 30 preferably are integrally cast, or otherwise manufactured, as a unitary piece, though in alternative embodiments the hosel 30 may be welded or otherwise affixed to the body 20 after each part is separately manufactured. In the preferred embodiment, the face component 50 is manufactured separately from the body 20, and is composed of a different material than the body 20. In particular, the face component 50 is composed of a titanium alloy, such as 6-4 or 811 titanium, while the body 20 is composed of a steel material, such as 17-4, 450, 475, 1020, or 1025 steel, and the face component 50 is brazed to the body 20 to close the front opening 26.
In other embodiments, the portion of the IML 45 that extends into the tube body 32 is structurally supported by one or more internal ribs 90, 92, 94 extending from the hollow interior 28 of the body 20 past the flange section 40 and into the tube body 32, as shown in the embodiments of
In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, an example of which is shown in
As discussed herein, the hosel lightening concepts of the present invention serve at least two purposes: (1) moving mass away from the heel side 23 of the golf club head 10; and (2) moving the center of gravity rearward along the x axis, toe-ward along the y axis, and upward along the z axis. The second goal can be aided by the addition of a high-density insert 100 to the body 20, as shown in
As shown in
Any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in an iron-type golf club head 10 to lighten and/or support the hosel 30 of the present invention. In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the heel portion 29 of the body 20 (or other hollow portions of the body 20 or hosel 30) may be partially or completely filled with a dampening material 80, which may be polymeric (e.g., urethane or rubber) but preferably includes a wire mesh material, such as the material made by Kinetic Structures and described at the following website: http://www.kineticstructures.com/wire%20mesh%20friction%20damper.html.
In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the hosel may be at least partially composed of a lightweight material, including but not limited to a thermoset matrix, a thermoplastic matrix, aluminum alloy, and/or magnesium alloy. The hosel cover may also be made of any of these materials.
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
Ivanova, Irina, Cackett, Matthew T., Rice, Bradley C., Watson, William C., Griffin, Sean P., Westrum, Joshua D., Manwaring, Scott R., Roche, Brooks
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